Concluding the Old Testament Story

Abraham’s ancestors had been polytheists (). His grandson, Jacob had polytheism in his family (, ). Later Israel followed the false god Baal and misused the prophets (). Nevertheless, the Old Testament teaches monotheism alone! God is the one and only God!

Only a fool would say there is no God (; ) Atheism is foolish since:

Proverbs 1:7 KJV 1900

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Monotheism stands at eth heart of the law of Moses. The first of the ten commandments read:

Exodus 20:3 KJV 1900

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Deuteronomy 6:4 KJV 1900

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

Observant Jews recite the Shema twice every day. The shema teaches the unity of God- the LORD is one.

Deuteronomy 4:35 KJV 1900

Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him.

Deuteronomy 4:39 KJV 1900

Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

He alone Created

Isaiah 45:18 KJV 1900

For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, He created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.

He alone has always existed in eternity past; and is perfect in justice and righteousness, and that every knee should bow!

Isaiah 45:21–23 KJV 1900

Tell ye, and bring them near; Yea, let them take counsel together: Who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; A just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: For I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, The word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall swear.

God demands complete worship, he is a jealous God

Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV 1900

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

God commanded Israel to choose whom they would serve

1 Kings 18:21 KJV 1900

And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

Joshua 24:19 KJV 1900

And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

Joshua 24:15 KJV 1900

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Although God is unique, He is not aloof, as agnostics teach. He invites the humble heart to enjoy close fellowship with him

Isaiah 57:15 KJV 1900

For thus saith the high and lofty One That inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

B. Covenants

The covenants provide a table of contents for the Old Testament story.

Unconditional covenants were made with Abraham and David. There will be a new covenant made with Israel that is yet to come.

The Sinaitic and Deuteronomic Covenants, on the other hand, promised conditional blessings and curses. When the Israelites broke the Sinaitic and Deuteronomic Covenants, the prophets threatened the people with covenant curses. Still, the prophets promised ultimate blessings, because they knew that God will faithfully honor the three unconditional covenants.

ASK: How would you describe Israel’s level of faithfulness to her covenant commitments?

supplies one example of the way that the covenants gird the old Testament Story.

In the beginning of her story, Israel was like an undesirable woman ()

Nevertheless, God pitied the nation by allowing it to exist and multiply in Egypt ()

Then He entered into a covenant with the nation at Sinai ()

Similar to tghe way that a man marries his wife, God bound Himself to the nation. God cleaned and clothed and prospered teh nation ()

However, Israel committed religious adultery by committing idolatry ()

Israel broke the conditional covenants of Sinai and Deuteronomy.

God promised to Judge the nation - the army killed, burned and carried out God’s jealous anger and judgment ()

The lord lamented the way that Israel behaved even worse than her religious relatives Sodom and Samaria ()

God promised to deal with Judah the same way that judah had deealth with God - by breaking the coneditional covenant of Sinai/Deuteronomy ()

Yet, God remembered the unconditional Abrahamic xcovenant, which He had made with Israel in teh days of her youth ()

C. Theocracy

The O.T. tells the story of God’s plan to establish His rule among His people. God’s Rule is known as Theocracy. The people of Israel rarely practiced it. God wished to rule His people through His designated leaders, but Israel resisted

Hosea 8:4 KJV 1900

They have set up kings, but not by me: They have made princes, and I knew it not: Of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, That they may be cut off.

God intended to exercise his will through submissive elders, judges, kings, priests, and prophets. God desired Israel to be a holy nation faithfully following His laws

Exodus 19:6–8 KJV 1900

And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.

The O.T. describes God as ‘the King’ as ‘a great King above all gods’ and as ‘the King, the lord of hosts’ (; ). The lord reigns and judges the people in righteousness (. The fact that He reigns should bring forth rejoicing and trembling (; )

The book of Deuteronomy functioned as the constitution for the theocracy. It provided the terms of agreement allowing Israel to live on the Promised Land under God’s sovereign rule.

Legislation for the nations kings ()

Legislation for the prophets ()

Legislation for the priests ()

These human leaders were to follow God’s Word.

During several key periods in Israel;’s history, teh theocracy functioned properly.

2 Chronicles 34:1 KJV 1900

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

Read: Why was Josiah a good Theocratic leader?

hy was Josiah a good Theocratic leader?

At 26, he directed his servants to renovate the temple

When Hilkiah found a copy of the law of Moses, and when Josiah heard the words of the scroll, he tore his clothes in repentance (34:19)

Josiah knew the nation had broken the covenant and deserved God’s judgment (34:21)

Josiah personally vowed his obedience to the covenant and led the people to follow his example (34:30-33)

Josiah led the people to celebrate the Passover Feast (35:1-19)

Josiah shines as an ideal example of an earthly king leading the people into righteousness - careful to obey God’s covenant stipulations.

One more Theocracy is coming:

There will be the ultimate theocracy when Christ comes to rule on the earth. describes his coming.

Zechariah 14:9 KJV 1900

And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: In that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

Revelation 11:15 KJV 1900

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

D. Redemption

The Old Testament tells the history of God’s work of redemption. Since Adam and Eve sinned, all their descendents have been under the curse of sin. God has worked from before the creation of the world to redeem sinful humanity

Ephesians 1:4 KJV 1900

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

After Adam and Eve fell into sin, death reigned. People devoted themselves to do evil. God judged the world with the Flood, but He rescued Noah and his family. People again populated the earth. God chose Abraham from among the nations so that in him and in his descendents ‘all families of the hearth might be blessed” ()

God redeemed the Israelites from Slavery in Egypt and brought them safely through the Red Sea ()

The Law was a priceless gift, for it listed God’s exact expectations and showed the people how far short they fell from God’s holy standard

Psalm 19:7 KJV 1900

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Romans 3:20 KJV 1900

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The Law indicated the need for a Substitute Who would take God’s punishment for sin. The Old Testament sacrificial system pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice of God’s Son (, ; ; ; ; , , )

Since the law proved the sinfulness of all it also proved that there is nothing good that a person can do to earn favor from God. Instead, the repentant sinner needs to simply trust in God - to take Him at His Word (; )

Leviticus

Leviticus 25:25–28 KJV 1900

If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

Leviticus 25:47–55 KJV 1900

And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family: After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: Either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself. And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him. If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption. And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight. And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him. For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

ASK: What did the people do when they redeemed land or slaves? how does this redemptive action compare to our salvation?

The old testament law allowed the Israelites to buy back land that they had sold. They could pay the price to redeem it. Slaves could be set free if relatives paid their redemption price. These laws afford a beautiful picture of redemption. Someone must pay the price for the penalty.

When it comes to sin, no mere human being can pay the price. Just as God redeemed his people from their Babylonian captivity () so He can redeem sinful humanity. God did this by sending His Son so He might die as the sinless man for all humanity. Christ die to assuage God;’s righteous wrath toward redemption. The New Testament is the sequel. it shows how God’s work was finished

John 19:30 KJV 1900

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

II. Main Connections between the Old and New Testaments

A. Typology

The Old Testament looks forward to the New Testament with its types. A type is a person, event, or object in the O.T. that finds correspondence in the N.T. Technically, the New Testament must declare that such a correspondence exists.

Moses Bronze serpent is a type ()

The Lord plagued His people with poisonous snakes because of their sin. Those who looked up in faith to the bronze snake that Moses raised were healed. in the same way, those who look up in faith to the crucified Christ are delivered from the penalty of their sins ()

B. Quotations

One of the most obvious connections between the two Testaments manifests itself in the 295 explicit references to the Old Testament that appear in the New Testament. In fact, 353 verses in the New Testament are quotations that come from the Old Testament. The Old Testament provided Jesus and His apostles with texts for their preaching, teaching, and writing.

C. Promise Fulfillment

The Old Testament joins the New Testament with the connection of predictions and fulfillments. The O.T. contains numerous predictions and the N.t. contains numerous fulfillments. This phenomenon argues for the truthfulness and divine origin of the Old Testament.

Many of the predictions in the Old Testament are messianic. They find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV 1900

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Looking beyond their near history, the prophets looked forward to a distant future, to an ultimate period of revelation and redemption. These prophecies center in the suffering and reign of King David’s Great Descendant. The Jewish people in Jesus’ day were confused about these disparate kinds of prophecies. how cold the Messiah both suffer and reign?

Luke 24:46 KJV 1900

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies about His suffering. But what about all the other prophecies about messiah’s glorious reign? Jesus promised that one day he would return to the earth and fulfill all these other prophecies

Luke 22:16 KJV 1900

For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Luke 22:18 KJV 1900

For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

Luke 22:30 KJV 1900

That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Revelation 22:20 KJV 1900

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

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